Steve Doocy Pimps Catholic Bishop's Claim That Birth Control Mandate Is "War on Catholics"

Fox News does seem to be rather cozy with the Catholic Church whose bishops are very unhappy with the Obama administration. The Catholic bishops, one of this country's largest and well funded lobby groups, is circling its wagons and preparing to fight for Catholic "religious liberty" which is really a fight against the Obama administration health care reform mandate which includes "conscience clause" provisions and birth control mandates which require employers pay for reproductive health care including contraceptives with no co-pay. The bishops say that the birth control mandate violates Church teaching. Given that Fox News seems to be an arm of Vatican Media (their only contributing clergy person is a Catholic priest who does tow the GOP right wing line of thought) it wasn't surprising to see Fox Knight of Malta, Peter Johnson, Jr., recently defend the bishop's position on "religious liberty." And this morning, Fox provided more reinforcement for this meme and a shout out to Fox's Catholic anti-choice audience when good Fox Catholic Steve Doocy interviewed a Catholic bishop who also provided some sweet Obama bashing. The world's oldest celibate (!) men's club seems to care far more about women's bodies than the abysmal American economy which has income inequality worse than some third world countries. Nice to see that "Fair & Balanced" Fox "News" is helping their newest crusade which, in the 21st century, doesn't involve the Saracen hordes - but is rather, a war on the reproductive rights of American women. And in the process, Fox is sending the message that Obama is anti-Catholic in order to move some Catholic votes into the "R" column. So it's all good...

The message was immediately framed with the Cavuto marked requisite agitprop: "Anti-Catholic Administration? Critics Complain About Admin's Policies?" Doocy reported that early in the Obama administration he eased the concern of pro-lifers when he said that he would respect their rights and then played part of Obama's speech at Notre Dame when he talked about honoring the conscience of those who oppose abortion. Doocy noted that as a result of new policies, some Catholics are complaining that Obama is "stomping on their rights" and being "anti-Catholic." He introduced his guest, the arch conservative Bishop William Lori who is head of the US Council of Catholic Bishops. Doocy further framed the message with classic Fox speak. He cited an article, by former Bush speech writer and conservative Christian, Michael Gerson, which asked if the Obama administration is at war with Catholics and "some would say they are." Lori claimed that they are experiencing "threats to religious freedom" as the agitprop chyron read "Battle Over Faith, Lori: Obama Admin Eroding Religious Liberty." Doocy did his Catholic and Fox duty to validate the bishop's point of view. He said "sure" and discussed how the health care reform bill suggests that Catholic hospitals would have to provide contraception (Steve didn't mention that not all workers, at Catholic hospitals, are Catholic) and perform abortions (emergency abortions without which the woman dies.) Good Catholic Steve brayed that this "flies in the face of what Catholics are taught to believe."

The bishop asserted that it's the government's duty to accommodate the religious beliefs of the Catholic Church even when they have a government contract because Catholic institutions provide excellent services. Doocy agreed and provided the Fox lesson. Casting aside any semblance of "fair & balaced," he said that "when you look at contraception and look at abortion, when you look at just those two things alone, it would be an attack on Catholic beliefs." Lori whined about how the Obama administration did renew the Catholic Church program for sex trafficking victims but didn't say it might have had something to do with the fact that the holy fathers weren't providing the victims with access to contraceptive health services. The chyron: "Conflicts With Catholics, Will Policies Hurt Pres. Obama in 2012?" When Lori said that this is discriminatory, Doocy said "absolutely." He then, dramatically, asked Lori about Rep. Nancy Pelosi's comment about how Catholics have "this conscience thing." Doocy did not provide the context which was that Pelosi was talking about how, if the bishops get their way and Catholic hospitals refuse to provide emergency abortions, women could die. Lori responded that "It's not Catholics and their conscience thing" and talked about the Bill of Rights and - wait for it - religious liberty. The chyron "Pelosi's Papal Peeve, Complains About Their Abortion Conscience." If Lori hadn't been at another location, Steve would have kissed his ring.

Comment: Lori is concerned about the freedom of the Catholic Church to deny women their health care, based on Catholic theology. Doocy isn't concerned that women, not all of them Catholic, have the right to health care policies which are based on women's health and not on Catholic theology. Of all the biased pieces on Fox & Friends, this was right on the top of the list but not surprising given that Ailes loves the conservative Catholic church and Steve Doocy is one of his army of conservative Catholics. If Mrs. Doocy is not practicing contraception (and that's a mortal sin if she is) I would hope that she is never raped and in need of a morning after pill because if she goes to a Catholic Hospital, under the policy that the bishops support, she won't get one. Abortion and contraception are legal and if the bishops don't agree with the law of the land then they shouldn't get taxpayer money. Obviously, Doocy was too busy pushing Fox News Catholic dogma to address how this issue relates to American women. Viva Il Papa Ailes?

Addendum - If you care about real civil liberties, regarding women's health care, the ACLU has a petition to urge the president to say "no" to the anti-choice lobby for which Fox News is a shameless shill.

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